There are numerous reasons people resist or reject the message of Jesus Christ. One that has been common since the beginning of Christianity is the difficulty scientific and academically “smart” people have with not being able to figure things out. During early Christianity, the brilliant academics were the Greeks. Even today, we study writings of Plato, and Aristotle, and the creations of the ancient Greeks.

The apostle Paul recognized this challenge that the “intellectuals” had with Christianity and wrote about it in 1 Corinthians 1:21-25. He wrote, “Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Greeks say it is all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.”

What if you needed to be smart enough to figure out how salvation worked in order to be saved. It would no longer be God saving, it would be the smart saving themselves; Which would essentially make them their own god. Ultimately, when people put their intelligence above their faith they are making themselves or their intellect their own god.

Dear Lord, we all have our struggles to overcome in order to surrender ourselves to you. Help us all see and believe the power and peace of salvation, your gift to us, and accept it with humility. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.